Adding device.



J. A. CHEAPE. ADDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1908. 924,329, Patented June 0, 1909.

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EEC-31.1..-

J. A. GHEAPE ADDING DEVICE. APPLIGATION FILED MA-R,12, 190a.

Patented June 8, 1909.

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m YVTtT I m i t sirnins PATENT JOHN ALBERT GHEAPE, 01* OHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX ADDER COMPANY, OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ADDING no. ceases. Specification of Application filed March 12,

T001 whom it may concern:

it known that I, Join: ALBERT Gunner, a subject oi the King of Greatlh'itain, residing'a't Cha-rlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State ct Virginia, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Adding Devices, of which the following is specification.

My-in'vention relates to an improvement ,10 in adding devices, and the object is to pro vide a simple device for adding, which shall be composed of few parts not liable to get out of order and oi such a nature that they maybe manufactured at a small initial cost '15 and easily assembled in the complete machine, the various parts being oi such a natune "that the wear upon 'them is slight and consequently the machine is rendered. both efiicient and durable.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the calculating mechanism may be easily and quickly reversed for correcting a mistake, that is to say any number carried forward by mistake may be returned without resulting in miscalculat'ion or-eny disorder to the operating mechanism.

Still another object is to provide an addi-ng machine which is readable from either so side by simply reversing the device endwise.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention comprises two or more .fiexible number carrying racks and internal gears combined, composed-of independent members each of which carry a number, in connection with endless guide ways in which the ends of said members slide or travel whereby the same face of said memhers are always presented outward.

4 lvly invention also consists in means for readily assembling or removing these ind-e pendent members in putting the-machine together ;or taking it apart, and it further consists in driving and transmission gee-rs for imparting periodical motion from one of these flexible racks and internal gears :to another.

My invention still further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying dratmgs:l*igure' 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is -a view with si-e broken away. Fig. 3 is a longitudinaisectional view. F 4 is e bot- Device.

Patented nine 8, 19.9.

1908. SerialNo. 420,570.

Letters Patent.

with endless or Cl-shaped guide-ways 2, 2,

formed in their inner faces, whereby two of these grooves face each other, these frames :being held apartby spacing blocks 3, 3, and the several frames and spacing blocks being conveniently connected together by boltsor similar means 4, 41, extending through the ends of the device.

The adding mechanism is in the form of flexible racks and internal gears, of which there maybe two, four, or in fact any number, each composed of a plurality of independent number-carrying members 5, 5. These independent members are all alike excepting the numbering which is from zero to nine in consecutive arrangement. The ends of each member are provided with rounded bearings 6 on their outer surfaces adapted to approximately fit the curvature of the ends of the guide-ways. An orifice 7 opposite the number is adapted to receive a stylus or other pointed instrument for shifting the members. Each member is provided with a central, inwardly projecting approximetel il-shaped tooth 8 whereby to drive or-be driven. in the construction illustrated there are just thirty of these independent members to each column or guideway, in other words, ten on each side and live at each end ofthe guide-way, so that when one of the members containing the number desired to be added is carried forward, all the rest of the members in the row are corresponding-l y actuated, each one pushing the next one iorwardi As a convenient means for inserting the numbei.'-carrying members 5, 5, in the guide ways, the notches 20, 20, are provided, these being cut through the outer flanges of the guide-ways, and after the entire complement of number-carrying members are inserted in the ways, that is to say, three complete sets from zero to nine in the guide-way, making thirty in all, a filling block 31 is inserted in the notches to prevent the members 5, 5, from displacement.

.As a means for transmitting motion from the units column to the tens and from the tens to the hundreds and from theghundreds to the thousands and soon, suitable trans mission gearing is provided. This consists all the in a sprocket wheel 10 for each row or set of members. In the device illustrated, these g/ sides of the adding device. These SplOt Tiit. wheels are .either driven or drive w ieelsx accordingly as they are actuated by the romof members, or a row of members is actuated by'one of them. Now this transmission of motion is brought about in the following way. Each sprocket wheel is provided with a pin 13 extending to the left parallel with the axis and the location of this pin is such that just as the zero in any column is brought down to the slot 18 this pin moves the next sprocket wheel to the left the distance of one tooth and member. A star wheel 14 is loosely mounted on the shaft 15 and on one side of this star wheel there is a smaller gear wheel 14*, and one of thesecombined star-wheels and gear is located between each two sprocket wheels, so that the teeth of the star wheel are in the path of the pin 13 whereby once duringea ch revolution of the sprocket wheel the star wheel is moved the distance of one tooth. The gear wheel 14* is meshed with a pinion 14 on one face of the next sprocket wheel 10 to the left so that when the pin 13 on the units sprocket wheel engages between two teeth of the star wheel 14, the next sprocket wheel 10 will be moved the distance of one tooth. This transmission of motion occurs only with each complete revolution of the immediate sprocket wheel to the right. Thus with each complete revolution of one of the sprocket vwheels to the right, the next one to the left is turned the distance of one tooth, and with a complete revolution of that wheel the next sprocket wheelto the left is turned one tooth and so on. On the other hand, it may be mentioned in this connection that the construction is such that while each sprocket wheel will transmit motion to sprocket wheels to the left, the mechanism is se. constructed. that none of the sprocket wheels willtransmit motion to any of the other sprocket wheels to the right.

As a simple means for retaining the transmission mechanism in the position to which it is turned bythe pins on the sprocket wheels, a spring 1%? bears yieldingly upon a cam wheel 14 on one side of each star wheel and each cam wheel is provided with-as cam teeth as there are teeth on the sprocket wheel. I

l'n the arran ement illustrated oi the relative position 0 the members composing the flexible racks and internal gears of the sprocket wheels, the teeth 8, 8- projecting inwardlyirom the centers of t. a members 5, 5, are ada ted, to be=receivedbetween every two test on the sprocket wheels and mechanism of comparativeiiy 'which at the same time are e owing to'the fact that these teeth are brought closer together on the curve than when they are received by the sprocket wheel just as they are leaving the straight part of the guideway and owing to the fact that they. approximately fit the teeth of the. sprocket wheel on the curve, ample clearance is left when they are spread apart on the straight part of the guide-way to allow the receiving tooth of the sprocket wheel to engage and as it were to pick up the next tooth of the flexible rack even though the next tooth by reason ofits being the last should be somd distance back owing to faulty construction or wear of the members.

The face plate 16 of the device is provided with elongated slots 17, 17, corresponding to each space between guide-ways, and in position to expose the orifices in the members 5, 5, and at the lower end of each slot there is either an enlargement or an exposure slot 18 atone side of the main slot and in line with the column of figures 19, through which the numbers on the members 5, 5, are'exposed.

In operating the adder, at the start all the zeros are brought down until they appear through the slots 17 1-7. This may be done by first operating the units, then the ter" and 'then the hundreds column as "of numbers may be operated independeand to the right, as previously explained.

This will bring corresponding numbers directly beneath each other on the face plate. Suppose it is'now desired to add four live, the operator inserts somepointed rstrument in the orifice, opposite the ii 1 four in the units column, and carries member downas far as it will go. l i four then appears in the right hand slot Now to add five to the four, the operator inserts his pointed instrument in the orifice opposite five and repeats the operation. The numeral nine will then appear in the right hand slot 18. Suppose to this nine he desiresto add four; he inserts the instrument -in the orifice opposite four and pulls the member down and just as the zero appears through the slot 18 the'transmission gear is operated to move the second column to bring the numeral one in the second slot. 18. The operator bypulling the member down as far as it willgo, thus brings the number which was beneath four in the slot 17 to the right, the result of adding four to nine will appear in the two slots as thirteen. By 'turning the device over endwise, it could be operatedin the same way from the othefside, thus making it very convenient if desired to calculate from either one end or the other. In this way, I have provided a very simple few parts forming their functions. As has been previously mentioned, the number-carrying l? ectual in permembers ma be reversedet any time and oeder to correct azmst at any poii'zt-in What not. in short they be moa 'eor in either direction Without. damage It evident that more c" less slight chinges might be resorted to in the fern: and-er angement oi the several parts described, Without departing from the s llit and scope of my invention, and hence. i do not'wisli to limit myself to the constricti-m herein set forth, but

claim new and clesimien,

What

Lette s is l. eddiiig machine gn' 0 ng machine having endless races there an indepei'ident nnr er carrying mg said or i s mg machine having guide thceen, and a c c ts row 3L independent members in 1 l l guide-Ways r races. d members moving them. An adding maciine having endless guide-ways rocesth-srein, and ccntim'i ons row of independen nenibc filling said n ale-wic s or es, sillfl cominnous row of mini! ir -3:11! mg members 'ieing mcvable in An adding device having all endless guide-way or race, mimber-carry ng members filling said gnidcm'ay or race, each anti= member capable of being slid in eitl tion to continuously move the r members filling the guideway or rice, whereby the movement of one member causes a corresponding inoiement of all the rest of the members contained in said guideway or race.

6. An adding device having r endless guide-way or race a continuous row of nun'iber-cerrying members filling said f way or race, a face piate over the members so constructed that he whole row hers may be moved ti distance ct i hers in eith r direction by slidin the memberc.

7. An midi!) device having a pini; li't'y endless gnicie- .vaj s or races :1 continnow row i :nendet t nnmher-cnrryi21g members d guide-trays, said members having a tligt on one end and orifice on the other, a a face. plate having slots which expose one cig't and or v the portions of the face plate between slots havin cigits inversely changed.

An adding machine hating; a plurality 1 of continuous guide-ways or races, of nnm 5 her-carrying members filling said guide- Wziys or races in continuous rows, said nnnia continut number-catrying. 1

eitner direction. 2

l ri said members zipuble ot being moved in 1 either air he'vin r. Ling device comprising 21 frmne 7 guide-wa s. and a continuous series oi' ntimber-carrying members e ends of which are fitted to said guidew and constructed an adapted to traverse c same Without rotating with respect to guide-ways. said members having openm Formed therein whereby they are cap'ahl 7 being moved.

11. in adding device comnrising a having endless guide-ways, a series of i pendent number-carrying members recei in said guide-Ways, slotted face plates on onposite sides of the device in which the mene the hers travel, and means for operating" membe s Wilt-relay the total of the diii'e' mnonnts will be recorded by the member ne one of the face plates.

' device comprising frames guide-ways, said guide-ways .suitable points and mambo"- pied to be inserted zh said notches or from w the device may be and a filling pi conforming for closing said notches.

13, an adding machine the combine.- tion with frames having guide-Ways, and independent number-carryir" members fitted to said guide-Wall s, of reversible sprocket wheel adapted to be driven by or drive su'tl members said members each having an carted on its inner face in posit n to enier on the spice adding machine, frames h-- a re've vii-eel.

combine.-

guide-- con tn) u vided with an epproi' i i n on its inner face of con iruction that 3 two of them approximately emb race the I sprocket teeth on opposite sides While roun ling a curve in tae guide-Way with which the sprocket wheel is concentric and whereby I these apgn'oxinmtely V-shoped teeth leave sntlicient space when on the straight portions -sh:ipod tooth cenlmllv loof the ide-way to afford clearance for the tooth o the sprocket wheel entering between two of the members, thus preventing the teeth from hitting or jamming upon end.

15. In an adding machine, the combination with frames 'iaving O-shaped guide ways in the form of grooves, of numberearrying members having flattened bearings at their ends with rounded outer surfaces ap proximately fitting said grooves whereby to travel through the latter without turning axially therein.

16. In an adding machine, the combination with frames having guide-ways, a suitable casing, shafts therein, and several endless series of independent number'carrying members fitted to and guided in said guideways, of a sprocket wheel for each series of members, teeth on the members adapted to be engaged by the sprocket wheels, and

means for transmitting motion periodically from one of said sprocket wheels to the other.

17 In an adding machine, the combination with frames having guide-ways, and number-carrying members guided by said guide-ways, of driving and driven sprocket wheels, teeth on the members adapted to be engaged by the sprocket wheels, and transmitting mechanism from one wheel to the other, whereby one series of members is a driver while the other is driven, any one of said series capable of being reversed at. any time.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN ALBERT CHEAPE. Witnesses I G. (,AssARD T RAPER, J12, J. MERCER GARNETT, Jr. 

